I was home again today with Kaitlyn. To make a long story short - she is recovering from pneumonia. It's been a long week.
The good thing about being home today is that I had a chance to participate in two miracles.
#1 - the Stuff Christians Like readers have raised almost $30,000 in the past 24 hours to build a school in Vietnam. It's been cool to refresh the donation page throughout the day and see the total grow. As of writing this, we only need $1,000 more to reach the goal!
UPDATE: The goal was met! So much for hoping to reach it by December 31 - how about 24 hours instead??
#2 - I've loosely been following Stellan's story over at MckMama's blog for the past year. He is a miracle baby who wasn't expected to live past delivery. He did survive (and thrive!) but then was diagnosed with some heart issues. He had surgery today in less-than-ideal conditions, and as of one point this morning his heart stopped.
However.
God worked a miracle and Stellan's surgery is a home run success!!!!!!
I have been praying for him all day long and have obsessively been refreshing MckMama's blog and her Twitter updates. As I sat here with my sick baby I couldn't help but think about how terrible it must be to see your baby hospitalized and going through surgery. I am so blessed that God cleared my schedule today so I could pray for little Stellan and be a witness to this miracle. God is good!
Showing posts with label Kaitlyn. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Kaitlyn. Show all posts
Monday, November 9, 2009
Tuesday, November 3, 2009
Happy Birthday, I think
This picture represents the last 48 hours at our house. (Not pictured: the humidifier, cough drops, Candy Land, and DVR'd episodes of Top Chef.)
Early Sunday morning (2am-ish) Kaitlyn woke up with a fever, we gave her some Tylenol, and she promptly gave it back to us - including some in our bed and in her hair. Awesome. Those are always the moments when I think, "Yep - I'm a mom."
The poor girl has had a fever of 102.5-103 ever since, and we all have terrible coughs. (Or "the coughs" as Kaitlyn says.)
On Sunday Mike went to Walmart because we were out of children's Tylenol and Motrin, and lo and behold, they were also out of it.
Well, let me ammend that statement slightly by saying that according to Mike, who called me while at Walmart and was very confused about what he was looking for, they were out of it. He did come home with some chewable Tylenol.
Anyway, my point is that it seems we aren't the only ones dealing with this sort of thing right now.
So, happy birthday to me. I stayed home with Kaitlyn yesterday and will stay home again this morning.
And really, what could be better than hanging out in your PJs with your favorite kid? I really want all of us to get better, but I'm also trying to count my blessings.
I'd say I'm pretty blessed. :-)
Tuesday, October 6, 2009
The cow, part 2
If you missed the first part of the story, you can read it here.
When Mike arrived home from work after my crazy cow conversation with Kaitlyn it was one of those moments where I said, "Here - take your daughter," as soon as he walked in the door. I really thought my head was going to explode from her incessant talking and questioning about the cow.
We finally moved on to other things that night, but little did I know that it would all start again the next morning while on the way to the sitter's house. I'll spare you the details - just imagine a conversation similar to the one I recounted in my first post.
After we went for a few rides on the conversation merry-go-round I said an exasperated prayer. Was this a spiritual issue? Had an irrational fear taken root in her mind? Or, was this the product of an over-dramatic imagination at work? Lord, give me wisdom!
I decided that prayer is always a good thing and told Kaitlyn that we were going to pray about it. And pray we did. If there were any evil spiritual forces at work in her mind, we prayed them right on out of that minivan.
After the prayer she sat in silence for a minute or two, then said, "Mom? Can we pray for the cow?"
Pray for the cow? Oy.
This reminded me of the last time my mom watched Kaitlyn during the day. Kaitlyn suddenly starting talking about a monster and attached herself to my mom with a death grip. She was tense and fearful, and clung to my mom until finally falling asleep.
When she woke up, she told my mom that Jesus had come and kicked that monster out. Then she wanted the monster to come sit with her at the table while she ate lunch. Seriously? First you are deathly afraid of the monster, and then you make friends and want to share your pudding with him? **sigh**
There has been more talk of monsters since these two incidents. I'm thinking this is simply a phase, but then again there is that thought of what if there are times when she is really afraid and I'm acting like it's no big deal?
This is the part of parenting that I didn't realize would be so hard. The fine line between what is harmless and should be ignored, versus what is harmful and needs to be dealt with. What if I think it is harmless and blow it off but it turns out to be a serious concern? What if I think it is harmful and I make a big deal out of it, when really it was harmless until I started meddling and trying to fix it and then it turns into something harmful?
Talk about a merry-go-round.
I was thinking about this tonight and realized that it's only the start of the parenting merry-go-round of what ifs and guilt trips. She's not even three - I have many years ahead of the "is this harmless or harmful?" debate. In the midst of the barrage of thoughts and possible future scenarios that flooded my mind I realized that I, using my own skill and logic, will never be able to handle this thing called parenting.
The next revelation that came to me was the importance of building my relationship with God. This is the only way I'll stay sane - knowing that the One who loves Kaitlyn more than I'll ever understand is leading me and guiding me. Knowing that I can't go everywhere she goes, but He will. Knowing that He will give me discernment, and that His power is made perfect in my weakness. Oh what peace there is in that!
For now I will take the monster issue one day at a time. I've heard other parents of preschoolers talk about their kids being obsessed with monsters so I'm not going to freak out about it. (We have enough drama in our house without me throwing more into the mix.)
Nevertheless, you can be sure that we will avoid taking Kaitlyn to Chick-Fil-A for a while.
When Mike arrived home from work after my crazy cow conversation with Kaitlyn it was one of those moments where I said, "Here - take your daughter," as soon as he walked in the door. I really thought my head was going to explode from her incessant talking and questioning about the cow.
We finally moved on to other things that night, but little did I know that it would all start again the next morning while on the way to the sitter's house. I'll spare you the details - just imagine a conversation similar to the one I recounted in my first post.
After we went for a few rides on the conversation merry-go-round I said an exasperated prayer. Was this a spiritual issue? Had an irrational fear taken root in her mind? Or, was this the product of an over-dramatic imagination at work? Lord, give me wisdom!
I decided that prayer is always a good thing and told Kaitlyn that we were going to pray about it. And pray we did. If there were any evil spiritual forces at work in her mind, we prayed them right on out of that minivan.
After the prayer she sat in silence for a minute or two, then said, "Mom? Can we pray for the cow?"
Pray for the cow? Oy.
This reminded me of the last time my mom watched Kaitlyn during the day. Kaitlyn suddenly starting talking about a monster and attached herself to my mom with a death grip. She was tense and fearful, and clung to my mom until finally falling asleep.
When she woke up, she told my mom that Jesus had come and kicked that monster out. Then she wanted the monster to come sit with her at the table while she ate lunch. Seriously? First you are deathly afraid of the monster, and then you make friends and want to share your pudding with him? **sigh**
There has been more talk of monsters since these two incidents. I'm thinking this is simply a phase, but then again there is that thought of what if there are times when she is really afraid and I'm acting like it's no big deal?
This is the part of parenting that I didn't realize would be so hard. The fine line between what is harmless and should be ignored, versus what is harmful and needs to be dealt with. What if I think it is harmless and blow it off but it turns out to be a serious concern? What if I think it is harmful and I make a big deal out of it, when really it was harmless until I started meddling and trying to fix it and then it turns into something harmful?
Talk about a merry-go-round.
I was thinking about this tonight and realized that it's only the start of the parenting merry-go-round of what ifs and guilt trips. She's not even three - I have many years ahead of the "is this harmless or harmful?" debate. In the midst of the barrage of thoughts and possible future scenarios that flooded my mind I realized that I, using my own skill and logic, will never be able to handle this thing called parenting.
The next revelation that came to me was the importance of building my relationship with God. This is the only way I'll stay sane - knowing that the One who loves Kaitlyn more than I'll ever understand is leading me and guiding me. Knowing that I can't go everywhere she goes, but He will. Knowing that He will give me discernment, and that His power is made perfect in my weakness. Oh what peace there is in that!
For now I will take the monster issue one day at a time. I've heard other parents of preschoolers talk about their kids being obsessed with monsters so I'm not going to freak out about it. (We have enough drama in our house without me throwing more into the mix.)
Nevertheless, you can be sure that we will avoid taking Kaitlyn to Chick-Fil-A for a while.
Tuesday, September 22, 2009
Chatty Cathy and the Cow
About two months ago I took Kaitlyn to dinner at Chick-Fil-A. Mike was doing something work-related so I decided that she and I would go out to eat and then run to the grocery store after I picked her up from the sitter's house.
It was at the sitter's house that I found out it was "family night" at the particular Chick-Fil-A we were going to. Free food for Kaitlyn = awesome.
When we arrived at Chick-Fil-A, we both got the surprise of our lives. We walked through the door and were greeted by the Chick-Fil-A cow. As in, a huge, person-dressed-up-in-a-costume cow.
Kaitlyn FREAKED. OUT.
Before I could respond she had practically leaped up into my arms and was clawing and screaming. If a costumed cow could have facial expressions, I think this one would have looked just as terrified as Kaitlyn. He/she slowly backed away from the door, as if to say, "Um, yeah. Looks like my job here is done. Good luck with the screaming kid, lady."
I took her into the bathroom and got her calmed down. We ordered, then sat at a table FAAAAR away from the family night activities and the cow. By the time we left, Kaitlyn decided that maybe the cow wasn't that bad, and even waved good-bye to him/her.
The cow incident has been mentioned now and again over the past two months. Daddy heard all about it, Meagan (Kaitlyn's sitter) heard all about it, the grandparents heard all about it, and probably a few cashiers, servers, and random strangers have also been told about the cow.
So, one day last week Kaitlyn and I are on our way home after work. I had been to Chick-Fil-A that day and my cup was still in the cup holder. Would you believe that Kaitlyn recognized the cup and started talking about that darn cow? There was no hint of a cow picture on the cup. How did she know where it was from??
Here is a glimpse into the next five minutes of conversation:
K: Mommy, I don't like the cow.
Me: Ok.
K: That cow scared me.
Me: I know. But you're ok now, right?
K: Yeah.
Me: It was just a person dressed up like a cow.
K: It was just a person?
Me: Yes - remember, we talked about that. And remember how you liked the cow at the end? Remember how you waved to it?
K: Mommy, I don't want to see the cow again.
Me: Ok. You don't have to see the cow again. I know it scared you honey, but there's nothing to be scared of. If you get scared you can just ask Jesus to help you.
K: Mommy - I don't want to see the cow!
Me: Ok - we won't go see the cow.
K: But mom - MOM! I don't want to see the cow.
Me: O.k.
K: Mommy, I don't want to see the cow.
Me: Yes, I understand. We won't go see the cow.
K: I don't want that cow to get me.
Me: He won't get you. I promise.
K: [getting a little dramatic] Mommy - I don't want to see the cow!
Me: Ok.
K: Ok?
Me: Yes. Ok.
K: Um, mom?
Me: What honey?
K: [nonchalantly] I don't want to see that cow again.
Me: Ok.
K: But I don't want to see the cow.
Me: O. K.
K: But I don't want to see the cow.
Me: I said Ohhhhhhhh Kaaaaaaay. You don't have to see the cow. Trust me - we won't be going back there anytime soon.
K: [rambling, hard to understand mumbling about the cow, ending with a question mark, insinuating that I should provide an answer]
Me: What?
K: [big sigh] Where is the cow?
Me: I don't know.
K: You don't know? But where is the cow?
Me: Kaitlyn, seriously, I have no idea where the cow is.
K: Mom! I don't want that cow to get me!
Me: I know. Kaitlyn, listen: YOU. ARE NOT. GOING. TO SEE. THE COW. THE COW. IS NOT. GOING. TO GET. YOU.
K: But where is he?
Me: Honey, he's probably still at Chick-Fil-A.
K: Is he in the kitchen at Chick-Fil-A?
Me: Um, yes. Yes. He's definitely in the kitchen at Chick-Fil-A.
K: But why is he in the kitchen?
Me: [thinking, "really?? am I having this conversation?"] Because that's where he belongs. Far, far away from you.
K: Mom?
Me: WHAT.
K: Mom, I don't want to see the cow.
Me: [Silence. Thinking, "If I don't respond, maybe she'll end this ridiculous conversation.]
K: MOM.
Me: What.
K: I don't want to see that cow again.
Later this week: The cow, part 2; the next morning.
Saturday, September 12, 2009
Puddin'
Today I finally figured out how to manage the videos I take on our Flip. Therefore, you might be seeing a lot more videos. Many of them are ones that I intended to post a loooong time ago, including this one of Kaitlyn on her second birthday. (Her celebration was the weekend after; this is the actual day of her birthday.)
Thursday, May 21, 2009
Not good
It's not good when, at 2pm, you rediscover the sippy cup of milk (the cup without a spill-proof valve) that you carefully sat on your purse at 7:45am and then forgot.
The one that you grabbed on your way out the door in an effort to calm your toddler who was screaming for something to drink while you were rushing to get out of the house on time.
The one that this same toddler would thrust at you in the car, 20 minutes later, while whining and complaining because she was "all done" and didn't want to hold the cup anymore.
Yeah, that cup. The one that you sat down on your purse and thought, "I'll take care of that after I drop her off."
Note for next time: you won't remember to take care of it after you drop her off.
EDITED TO ADD: I forgot to actually write the important part, that yes, I grabbed my purse and carried it into my office without realizing the the cup was still there, and yes, it did spill all over the inside of my purse. Thankfully, I had just cleaned it out last night so there wasn't much damage to the contents - I just need to try and wash the purse so I don't end up carrying around a spoiled-milk-scented purse. Ick.
The one that you grabbed on your way out the door in an effort to calm your toddler who was screaming for something to drink while you were rushing to get out of the house on time.
The one that this same toddler would thrust at you in the car, 20 minutes later, while whining and complaining because she was "all done" and didn't want to hold the cup anymore.
Yeah, that cup. The one that you sat down on your purse and thought, "I'll take care of that after I drop her off."
Note for next time: you won't remember to take care of it after you drop her off.
EDITED TO ADD: I forgot to actually write the important part, that yes, I grabbed my purse and carried it into my office without realizing the the cup was still there, and yes, it did spill all over the inside of my purse. Thankfully, I had just cleaned it out last night so there wasn't much damage to the contents - I just need to try and wash the purse so I don't end up carrying around a spoiled-milk-scented purse. Ick.
Tuesday, April 28, 2009
Riding in alligators, among other things
Last week I used my new-to-me bread machine for the first time. I bought it at a garage sale for $10, from a lady who said she bought it several years ago and only used it a few times. I asked if it was in OK condition, and she said, "Oh yes - it works fine. I stopped using it because we gave up carbs soon after I bought it."
(How many people have invested in expensive specialty appliances only to have them end up in the appliance graveyard in the back of the cupboard or the garage or the basement?)
I've been wondering if I might like having (and would actually USE) a bread machine, and $10 is an affordable risk, so I bought it.
On Thursday I finally used it and as I pulled the freshly baked honey wheat bread out I thought about my grandma. At her memorial service my aunt and uncle read through some memories she had written down several years ago. It was so interesting to hear about her life growing up and during the early years of her marriage.
She was born in 1918, and married my grandpa in 1938. (I think... maybe it was 1937? Or 1939?) They didn't have electricity for quite a while (that came in the late '40's or early '50's, I think?) and they didn't get indoor plumbing until the late '50's.
She had to go out to the pump in the yard, get her water, then haul it into the house. (And then take the dirty water back out.) She used a wood stove to cook on, and I think she had a hole dug into the ground to keep things cool.
As I sliced through my home baked bread, I thought about the effort it would have taken for grandma to make that same loaf, versus the effort it had taken me. What a difference.
It also made me think, "what am I doing with my extra time?" We have so many devices and appliances and conveniences that cut down on the time and effort required for every day living. Where am I putting that extra time and energy?
I'll be chewing on that question for a while.
Also, here is what my sister Monica read at grandma's service. It was a very nice service, one that truly honored my grandma's life and her dedication to serving the Lord.
Kaitlyn behaved beautifully for the two-day trip. We rode out with my mom, and of course, the portable DVD player. And Princess Gigi, who I have a love/hate relationship with, but I'll save that discussion for another day.
The only bad points for Kaitlyn were sleep (she went to bed late and woke up at 4:45am) and the fact that the one time she decided to have an attitude was as we walked into the actual memorial service. Nice timing, kiddo. Thankfully, her lack of sleep caught up to her midway through the service and she took a nap.
She amazed me by staying dry for the entire two days - even overnight and during the few small naps she had. Wow.
One cute story... When we got to the hotel, my niece Alyssa met us in the lobby and helped us get Kaitlyn and all the luggage upstairs to our room. We mentioned to Kaitlyn that we were going to ride in the elevator. "Have you ever ridden in an elevator?" my mom asked her. She just looked at my mom like she wasn't sure what to think about the situation.
We stepped into the elevator and she immediately wanted to be picked up. Again, she didn't look too sure about the whole thing.
We got off and were on our way down the hall when Kaitlyn said something about the alligator. "Alligator? What alligator?" we wondered.
And then it dawned on us.
I never thought about how similar the words "elevator" and "alligator" sound.
(How many people have invested in expensive specialty appliances only to have them end up in the appliance graveyard in the back of the cupboard or the garage or the basement?)
I've been wondering if I might like having (and would actually USE) a bread machine, and $10 is an affordable risk, so I bought it.
On Thursday I finally used it and as I pulled the freshly baked honey wheat bread out I thought about my grandma. At her memorial service my aunt and uncle read through some memories she had written down several years ago. It was so interesting to hear about her life growing up and during the early years of her marriage.
She was born in 1918, and married my grandpa in 1938. (I think... maybe it was 1937? Or 1939?) They didn't have electricity for quite a while (that came in the late '40's or early '50's, I think?) and they didn't get indoor plumbing until the late '50's.
She had to go out to the pump in the yard, get her water, then haul it into the house. (And then take the dirty water back out.) She used a wood stove to cook on, and I think she had a hole dug into the ground to keep things cool.
As I sliced through my home baked bread, I thought about the effort it would have taken for grandma to make that same loaf, versus the effort it had taken me. What a difference.
It also made me think, "what am I doing with my extra time?" We have so many devices and appliances and conveniences that cut down on the time and effort required for every day living. Where am I putting that extra time and energy?
I'll be chewing on that question for a while.
Also, here is what my sister Monica read at grandma's service. It was a very nice service, one that truly honored my grandma's life and her dedication to serving the Lord.
Kaitlyn behaved beautifully for the two-day trip. We rode out with my mom, and of course, the portable DVD player. And Princess Gigi, who I have a love/hate relationship with, but I'll save that discussion for another day.
The only bad points for Kaitlyn were sleep (she went to bed late and woke up at 4:45am) and the fact that the one time she decided to have an attitude was as we walked into the actual memorial service. Nice timing, kiddo. Thankfully, her lack of sleep caught up to her midway through the service and she took a nap.
She amazed me by staying dry for the entire two days - even overnight and during the few small naps she had. Wow.
One cute story... When we got to the hotel, my niece Alyssa met us in the lobby and helped us get Kaitlyn and all the luggage upstairs to our room. We mentioned to Kaitlyn that we were going to ride in the elevator. "Have you ever ridden in an elevator?" my mom asked her. She just looked at my mom like she wasn't sure what to think about the situation.
We stepped into the elevator and she immediately wanted to be picked up. Again, she didn't look too sure about the whole thing.
We got off and were on our way down the hall when Kaitlyn said something about the alligator. "Alligator? What alligator?" we wondered.
And then it dawned on us.
I never thought about how similar the words "elevator" and "alligator" sound.
Monday, April 20, 2009
Don't try this at home
Yesterday morning I threw a cup of coffee down the stairs.
I had the cup in my hand, 3/4 full, and the sleeve of my bathrobe caught on the half-wall by our stairs as I walked by. Because of the way it all happened, my coffee cup went flying out of my hand, slammed against one wall, and bounced back and forth between the stair walls as it bumped down to the basement.
In a split second, there was coffee splattered on three walls, the kitchen floor, the hallway carpet, and the carpet on five or six stairs.
I couldn't do that again if I tried.
I just stood there for a second in disbelief and then tried to figure out where to start the clean up. I got everything mostly cleaned up when I looked up and realized that Kaitlyn had peed on the floor.
This is the scene my poor husband happened upon when he got out of the shower. This was also the moment when I gave up on the idea of getting to church on time.
We eventually got everything cleaned up, although there are still light stains on the carpet. Today I found myself wondering - if I had only used a tad bit more creamer, would it have matched?
Switching gears... I must share a conversation that occurred between Mike and Kaitlyn last night at Wal-Mart. For several months Mike has been talking about getting a flat screen TV. My standard response is, "Ok. You take a look at our bank account, and if you feel that's a wise way to spend our money, then go right ahead and buy it."
(Evil, yes, but it's quite effective.)
Last night Mike ran to the store to pick up something for work and he took Kaitlyn with him. While they were there he couldn't resist taking a stroll through the electronics section.
K: Daddy, what are those? [looking at all the display TVs]
M: Those are TVs honey.
K: Wow! Those are TVs? [she's in this mode of repeating everything]
M: Yes they are. Do you think we should get one?
K: But we have TVs at home that we can watch!
EXACTLY. Out of the mouths of babes...
I had the cup in my hand, 3/4 full, and the sleeve of my bathrobe caught on the half-wall by our stairs as I walked by. Because of the way it all happened, my coffee cup went flying out of my hand, slammed against one wall, and bounced back and forth between the stair walls as it bumped down to the basement.
In a split second, there was coffee splattered on three walls, the kitchen floor, the hallway carpet, and the carpet on five or six stairs.
I couldn't do that again if I tried.
I just stood there for a second in disbelief and then tried to figure out where to start the clean up. I got everything mostly cleaned up when I looked up and realized that Kaitlyn had peed on the floor.
This is the scene my poor husband happened upon when he got out of the shower. This was also the moment when I gave up on the idea of getting to church on time.
We eventually got everything cleaned up, although there are still light stains on the carpet. Today I found myself wondering - if I had only used a tad bit more creamer, would it have matched?
Switching gears... I must share a conversation that occurred between Mike and Kaitlyn last night at Wal-Mart. For several months Mike has been talking about getting a flat screen TV. My standard response is, "Ok. You take a look at our bank account, and if you feel that's a wise way to spend our money, then go right ahead and buy it."
(Evil, yes, but it's quite effective.)
Last night Mike ran to the store to pick up something for work and he took Kaitlyn with him. While they were there he couldn't resist taking a stroll through the electronics section.
K: Daddy, what are those? [looking at all the display TVs]
M: Those are TVs honey.
K: Wow! Those are TVs? [she's in this mode of repeating everything]
M: Yes they are. Do you think we should get one?
K: But we have TVs at home that we can watch!
EXACTLY. Out of the mouths of babes...
Thursday, April 16, 2009
Conversation from Wednesday morning
Me: Hey - you put your shoes on all by yourself! Good job!
K: No, I didn't.
Me: [puzzled, since she is clearly wearing shoes, and I clearly did not help her put them on] You didn't?
K: No. [insert attitude here, along with what was possibly a roll of the eyes] These are not shoes. They're sandals.
Oh, well, excuse me. I guess this is practice for when she hits the pre-teen stage?
K: No, I didn't.
Me: [puzzled, since she is clearly wearing shoes, and I clearly did not help her put them on] You didn't?
K: No. [insert attitude here, along with what was possibly a roll of the eyes] These are not shoes. They're sandals.
Oh, well, excuse me. I guess this is practice for when she hits the pre-teen stage?
Friday, April 10, 2009
Important Discovery
Kaitlyn can lock/unlock the door.
Thankfully, this was discovered while I was in the room with her. She said, "Mommy, I locked the door!" I checked, and sure enough, she had locked it. Then I told her to unlock it, just to make sure she knew how to do that. She does, which is good news. Hopefully this means we won't have lock-herself-in-a-room-and-can't-get-out drama.
However.
The bad news is, she knows how to lock the door. And she's smart enough (and two enough) to think it would be funny to lock the garage door while Mommy steps out to the freezer for a second. Or to go into the bathroom, lock the door, and get into who-knows-what.
There are some milestones that leave you feeling extremely proud of your child. And then there are those that take your prayer life to a new level.
Thankfully, this was discovered while I was in the room with her. She said, "Mommy, I locked the door!" I checked, and sure enough, she had locked it. Then I told her to unlock it, just to make sure she knew how to do that. She does, which is good news. Hopefully this means we won't have lock-herself-in-a-room-and-can't-get-out drama.
However.
The bad news is, she knows how to lock the door. And she's smart enough (and two enough) to think it would be funny to lock the garage door while Mommy steps out to the freezer for a second. Or to go into the bathroom, lock the door, and get into who-knows-what.
There are some milestones that leave you feeling extremely proud of your child. And then there are those that take your prayer life to a new level.
Wednesday, March 18, 2009
Tweeted out
So, it's been a while, huh?
I didn't intend to take such a long blogging break, but I guess I needed one.
One reason for the break is that I've been investigating a lot of online/social media type of stuff at work (such as twitter, facebook, and zinch) so I think I've been reaching my limit on the whole internet thing during the day, then I have no interest in getting on the computer at night. I am really enjoying my job, but it's funny how, when your work starts to actually become one of the main things you enjoy, then you stop wanting to do that thing in your leisure time.
Anyway, here I am, and hopefully I'll be back to blogging on a more regular basis.
I have many Kaitlyn stories that have happened during my little break - I'll share more of them later on, but wanted to leave you with at least one for today.
After our trip to the ER we had a fairly normal week, until we got to Thursday morning. We noticed that Kaitlyn felt a little warm, and sure enough, she had a fever. I stayed home with her and decided to take her to the doctor to make sure everything was ok.
The doctor's verdict was that she had the start of an ear infection, so he gave me a prescription for her. Kaitlyn and I then went to the pharmacy and then went in search of some lunch. The whole ordeal was taking longer than I wanted, and I was so hungry, and I was very distracted as I drove around trying to figure out what to do about lunch.
So, I'm driving along, and Kaitlyn is jabbering away in the back seat, and I'm pretty much ignoring her. That's when I realized she was talking about Barack Obama. And the castle that he lives in, and something about a garden. And a bunch of other opinions that I couldn't understand.
????
Where does she get this stuff? We don't spend a lot of time discussing politics around her, so it's a mystery to me. Maybe she secretly watches CNN after we go to bed?
I'm looking forward to hearing her thoughts on AIG.
I didn't intend to take such a long blogging break, but I guess I needed one.
One reason for the break is that I've been investigating a lot of online/social media type of stuff at work (such as twitter, facebook, and zinch) so I think I've been reaching my limit on the whole internet thing during the day, then I have no interest in getting on the computer at night. I am really enjoying my job, but it's funny how, when your work starts to actually become one of the main things you enjoy, then you stop wanting to do that thing in your leisure time.
Anyway, here I am, and hopefully I'll be back to blogging on a more regular basis.
I have many Kaitlyn stories that have happened during my little break - I'll share more of them later on, but wanted to leave you with at least one for today.
After our trip to the ER we had a fairly normal week, until we got to Thursday morning. We noticed that Kaitlyn felt a little warm, and sure enough, she had a fever. I stayed home with her and decided to take her to the doctor to make sure everything was ok.
The doctor's verdict was that she had the start of an ear infection, so he gave me a prescription for her. Kaitlyn and I then went to the pharmacy and then went in search of some lunch. The whole ordeal was taking longer than I wanted, and I was so hungry, and I was very distracted as I drove around trying to figure out what to do about lunch.
So, I'm driving along, and Kaitlyn is jabbering away in the back seat, and I'm pretty much ignoring her. That's when I realized she was talking about Barack Obama. And the castle that he lives in, and something about a garden. And a bunch of other opinions that I couldn't understand.
????
Where does she get this stuff? We don't spend a lot of time discussing politics around her, so it's a mystery to me. Maybe she secretly watches CNN after we go to bed?
I'm looking forward to hearing her thoughts on AIG.
Saturday, February 28, 2009
In sickness and in health
Today is our fifth anniversary. I intended to have some sort of lovey-dovey post, complete with wedding photos and a description of Mike's sweet gift.
However, our week has not gone as planned.
On Tuesday Mike and I started getting sick, and on Wednesday I stayed home from work. It was a run-of-the-mill cold, complete with clogged sinuses, a stuffy/runny nose, and body aches. I felt better on Thursday and went to work, but then yesterday I realized something funky was going on with my eye.
So, I took the afternoon off, went to the doctor, and confirmed that I have pink eye. Wonderful.
In the meantime, Mike and Kaitlyn both had varying levels of sinus congestion, but nothing that we were overly concerned about.
Until last night, around 9:45, when Kaitlyn woke up with a horrific cough. It was a barking, rasping cough that immediately sent me to the "What to Expect in the Toddler Years" book to look up the symptoms. According to the book, it was croup, and the recommendation was to call the doctor if this was our first encounter with it.
Since the only thing I associate with croup is the scene from "Anne of Green Gables" where Anne saves Diana's little sister from dying from croup by giving her ipecac, which immediately puts Anne back in Diana's mother's good graces and redeems her from the time she got Diana drunk on raspberry cordial, I thought that, yes, we did qualify for the "first encounter" recommendation of calling the doctor.
Ironically, the doctor on call was the same doctor who had seen me earlier in the day for my pink eye.
He gave me some general instructions and said the croup might last for one or two or three nights, but it wasn't anything to be super concerned about. "Oh, but, if she starts running a fever then you'll want to take her somewhere and have her looked at right away." Um, ok.
In an effort to cut the story short, I'll just say that from 10pm until 2am Mike and I caught a catnap or two in between trying to keep Kaitlyn comfortable and asleep. At 2am she woke up - she was WIDE awake - and we took her temp. 100.7*. Heeding the doctor's advice, we loaded up and went to the emergency room.
Because nothing says, "Happy Anniversary!" like a 2am trip to the ER. (A phrase soon to appear on a Hallmark card, I'm sure.)
My poor baby had to have her temp taken rectally, and she had a shot, and she had an eight-minute-long breathing treatment that was not favorably received and ended with us wrapping her in an impromptu straight-jacket made from a blanket.
In the midst of all this activity, the police walked by our room with someone in handcuffs and put him in the room next to us. So our lovely experience was mixed with sounds of shouting as the police and hospital staff tried to get basic medical history from a drunk guy. Celebrating your anniversary is all about the ambiance, right?
We arrived home at 3:45am, thinking Kaitlyn was so worn out that she would go right to sleep.
However, it hasn't really worked out that way. As I type, it is 10:45am and she has yet to go to sleep. She's as wide awake and as opinionated as ever. About 15 minutes ago she was running around without any pants, syrup stains on her shirt, a hair tie trying to hang on to the last remnant of a pony tail, she had one black, sparkly shoe on the wrong foot, and was on a serious mission to find the other sparkly shoe.
Then she wandered off down the hallway and turned on the lights in all the bedrooms.
Then she reenacted a scene from today's episode of "Handy Manny," in which she dropped things off the side of the couch, then hung over the edge to pick them up.
Now she has her play food out and is feeding her baby lunch. Baby is having a banana, a tangerine, spaghetti, tuna, ketchup, soup, green beans, and a croissant.
Needless to say, our plans for going out to dinner tonight to celebrate our anniversary have been postponed. I wish that our day had not included pink eye and a trip to the ER; I wish it HAD included sleep.
However, as Mike and I dealt with a sick little girl last night, I couldn't help but think that this is what marriage is all about. A strong marriage isn't built in the fluff moments when everything is going perfectly - it's built in the trenches, in middle-of-the-night crisis moments where your capacity for patience and kindness is put to the test. It's built in the moments when you snap at your husband out of fear and frustration, and he loves you anyway.
Five years ago I was incredibly excited to spend a week at Disney World with my new husband.
Today I'll be incredibly excited if I get to spend quality time with my bed.
And I wouldn't change a thing.
Happy anniversary, honey!
However, our week has not gone as planned.
On Tuesday Mike and I started getting sick, and on Wednesday I stayed home from work. It was a run-of-the-mill cold, complete with clogged sinuses, a stuffy/runny nose, and body aches. I felt better on Thursday and went to work, but then yesterday I realized something funky was going on with my eye.
So, I took the afternoon off, went to the doctor, and confirmed that I have pink eye. Wonderful.
In the meantime, Mike and Kaitlyn both had varying levels of sinus congestion, but nothing that we were overly concerned about.
Until last night, around 9:45, when Kaitlyn woke up with a horrific cough. It was a barking, rasping cough that immediately sent me to the "What to Expect in the Toddler Years" book to look up the symptoms. According to the book, it was croup, and the recommendation was to call the doctor if this was our first encounter with it.
Since the only thing I associate with croup is the scene from "Anne of Green Gables" where Anne saves Diana's little sister from dying from croup by giving her ipecac, which immediately puts Anne back in Diana's mother's good graces and redeems her from the time she got Diana drunk on raspberry cordial, I thought that, yes, we did qualify for the "first encounter" recommendation of calling the doctor.
Ironically, the doctor on call was the same doctor who had seen me earlier in the day for my pink eye.
He gave me some general instructions and said the croup might last for one or two or three nights, but it wasn't anything to be super concerned about. "Oh, but, if she starts running a fever then you'll want to take her somewhere and have her looked at right away." Um, ok.
In an effort to cut the story short, I'll just say that from 10pm until 2am Mike and I caught a catnap or two in between trying to keep Kaitlyn comfortable and asleep. At 2am she woke up - she was WIDE awake - and we took her temp. 100.7*. Heeding the doctor's advice, we loaded up and went to the emergency room.
Because nothing says, "Happy Anniversary!" like a 2am trip to the ER. (A phrase soon to appear on a Hallmark card, I'm sure.)
My poor baby had to have her temp taken rectally, and she had a shot, and she had an eight-minute-long breathing treatment that was not favorably received and ended with us wrapping her in an impromptu straight-jacket made from a blanket.
In the midst of all this activity, the police walked by our room with someone in handcuffs and put him in the room next to us. So our lovely experience was mixed with sounds of shouting as the police and hospital staff tried to get basic medical history from a drunk guy. Celebrating your anniversary is all about the ambiance, right?
We arrived home at 3:45am, thinking Kaitlyn was so worn out that she would go right to sleep.
However, it hasn't really worked out that way. As I type, it is 10:45am and she has yet to go to sleep. She's as wide awake and as opinionated as ever. About 15 minutes ago she was running around without any pants, syrup stains on her shirt, a hair tie trying to hang on to the last remnant of a pony tail, she had one black, sparkly shoe on the wrong foot, and was on a serious mission to find the other sparkly shoe.
Then she wandered off down the hallway and turned on the lights in all the bedrooms.
Then she reenacted a scene from today's episode of "Handy Manny," in which she dropped things off the side of the couch, then hung over the edge to pick them up.
Now she has her play food out and is feeding her baby lunch. Baby is having a banana, a tangerine, spaghetti, tuna, ketchup, soup, green beans, and a croissant.
Needless to say, our plans for going out to dinner tonight to celebrate our anniversary have been postponed. I wish that our day had not included pink eye and a trip to the ER; I wish it HAD included sleep.
However, as Mike and I dealt with a sick little girl last night, I couldn't help but think that this is what marriage is all about. A strong marriage isn't built in the fluff moments when everything is going perfectly - it's built in the trenches, in middle-of-the-night crisis moments where your capacity for patience and kindness is put to the test. It's built in the moments when you snap at your husband out of fear and frustration, and he loves you anyway.
Five years ago I was incredibly excited to spend a week at Disney World with my new husband.
Today I'll be incredibly excited if I get to spend quality time with my bed.
And I wouldn't change a thing.
Happy anniversary, honey!
Thursday, February 19, 2009
She's not quite as spiritual as I thought
Tonight after work Kaitlyn and I went to Mike's office to see some new products his company is making, and then we went out for dinner. On the way home, Kaitlyn asked one of her new favorite questions for when we are in the car: "Where we going next?" (With a special emphasis on "next," as only a two-year-old can do.)
This often leads to her asking the same question ten times in a row, even though she gets the same answer every time. Eventually I stop answering and I say, "I don't know. Where are we going?" in an effort to redirect her.
We went through this little charade tonight and her answer shocked me. When I asked her where we were going, she said, "To talk with Jesus."
Wow, I thought. For a moment I pondered this deeply - sort of like in the Bible where is says that Mary kept "all these things and treasured them in her heart." (Or something like that.) I thought maybe she had a better understanding of Jesus than what I had given her credit for.
This is when Kaitlyn repeated herself, and I realized she was saying "To Chuck E. Cheese's."
This often leads to her asking the same question ten times in a row, even though she gets the same answer every time. Eventually I stop answering and I say, "I don't know. Where are we going?" in an effort to redirect her.
We went through this little charade tonight and her answer shocked me. When I asked her where we were going, she said, "To talk with Jesus."
Wow, I thought. For a moment I pondered this deeply - sort of like in the Bible where is says that Mary kept "all these things and treasured them in her heart." (Or something like that.) I thought maybe she had a better understanding of Jesus than what I had given her credit for.
This is when Kaitlyn repeated herself, and I realized she was saying "To Chuck E. Cheese's."
Wednesday, February 18, 2009
For future reference
Kaitlyn woke up this morning in a bad mood. And let me tell you, she was G-R-U-M-P-Y. Everything I said was responded to with an emphatic "NO!", complete with a pouty look and flailing hands.
I finally decided that her grumpiness wasn't going to ruin my morning, and had a little fun with it. Here is our conversation:
Me: Are you going to eat your cereal?
K: NO!
Me: You said you wanted cereal for breakfast. Why don't you eat some of it?
K: NO!
Me: Are you going to eat anything for breakfast?
K: NO!
Me: Are you going to date before you're 18?
K: NO!
Me: Are you going to smoke?
K: NO!
Me: Are you going to drink?
K: NO!
Me: Are you going to do drugs?
K: NO!
Me: Are you going to have sex before you're married?
K: NO!
Mike and I were cracking up!
It would have been great to get this on video, but at least I can blog about it. This was a great way to turn a potentially bad morning into a highly amusing one!
I finally decided that her grumpiness wasn't going to ruin my morning, and had a little fun with it. Here is our conversation:
Me: Are you going to eat your cereal?
K: NO!
Me: You said you wanted cereal for breakfast. Why don't you eat some of it?
K: NO!
Me: Are you going to eat anything for breakfast?
K: NO!
Me: Are you going to date before you're 18?
K: NO!
Me: Are you going to smoke?
K: NO!
Me: Are you going to drink?
K: NO!
Me: Are you going to do drugs?
K: NO!
Me: Are you going to have sex before you're married?
K: NO!
Mike and I were cracking up!
It would have been great to get this on video, but at least I can blog about it. This was a great way to turn a potentially bad morning into a highly amusing one!
Sunday, February 15, 2009
Productive weekend in the kitchen
Before I get into my actual post, I must first say that my house is a mess. My bathrooms didn't get cleaned this weekend; the laundry is not done; I'm not sure when my kitchen floor was last mopped. I just don't want you to have any Martha Stewart illusions when you read this next part.
(As PW would say, "I'm just keepin' it real.")
Having said all of that, I did have a very productive weekend in the kitchen. We bought a chest freezer and I have officially run out of my current freezer stockpile, so it was definitely time to do some make-ahead-and-freeze meals.
Hamburger, chicken breasts, and pork loin were on sale this week, so I picked up about five pounds of each and made the following recipes this weekend:
Cajun Curry Chicken
Jerk Chicken
Chicken Sate
Sesame Chicken Bites
Porcupine Meatballs
Meatloaf
Sloppy Joes
Hamburger Patties
(This week I will also cook part of the pork loin in the crock pot and then shred it for BBQ sandwiches or pork tacos, and will cut the rest into pork chops and freeze them.)
This combination of chicken recipes seemed to work well because several ingredients overlapped. My kitchen smelled heavenly from the freshly grated ginger and lime zest, although this made me realize that I might want to invest in an actual zester instead of using the stand-up grater.
Most of these recipes made enough for two meals for us, so I currently have about 15 meals in the freezer. Woohoo!
In other news, the potty training has taken a step backwards. I'm not surprised, and won't let this discourage me. At least Kaitlyn understands all of the concepts - now it's just a matter of Mike and I being consistent and reinforcing the behavior.
The good news is that she has no problem going #1 or #2 on the potty, and she prefers to go on the big potty instead of her little one. That works for me - I prefer to not have to clean up the mess from the little one!
More good news: my mom is officially done with her chemo!!! Yay! She'll go on March 9 (which is also my niece's 13th birthday) for a CT scan. Please agree with us in prayer that they won't find any trace of cancer.
Another prayer request: my sister will have chemo treatment #3 on Tuesday. We are very thankful that her second treatment was oh so much better than her first one, and pray that this next one will also go well.
That's all for now... Have a great week!
(As PW would say, "I'm just keepin' it real.")
Having said all of that, I did have a very productive weekend in the kitchen. We bought a chest freezer and I have officially run out of my current freezer stockpile, so it was definitely time to do some make-ahead-and-freeze meals.
Hamburger, chicken breasts, and pork loin were on sale this week, so I picked up about five pounds of each and made the following recipes this weekend:
Cajun Curry Chicken
Jerk Chicken
Chicken Sate
Sesame Chicken Bites
Porcupine Meatballs
Meatloaf
Sloppy Joes
Hamburger Patties
(This week I will also cook part of the pork loin in the crock pot and then shred it for BBQ sandwiches or pork tacos, and will cut the rest into pork chops and freeze them.)
This combination of chicken recipes seemed to work well because several ingredients overlapped. My kitchen smelled heavenly from the freshly grated ginger and lime zest, although this made me realize that I might want to invest in an actual zester instead of using the stand-up grater.
Most of these recipes made enough for two meals for us, so I currently have about 15 meals in the freezer. Woohoo!
In other news, the potty training has taken a step backwards. I'm not surprised, and won't let this discourage me. At least Kaitlyn understands all of the concepts - now it's just a matter of Mike and I being consistent and reinforcing the behavior.
The good news is that she has no problem going #1 or #2 on the potty, and she prefers to go on the big potty instead of her little one. That works for me - I prefer to not have to clean up the mess from the little one!
More good news: my mom is officially done with her chemo!!! Yay! She'll go on March 9 (which is also my niece's 13th birthday) for a CT scan. Please agree with us in prayer that they won't find any trace of cancer.
Another prayer request: my sister will have chemo treatment #3 on Tuesday. We are very thankful that her second treatment was oh so much better than her first one, and pray that this next one will also go well.
That's all for now... Have a great week!
Wednesday, February 11, 2009
Maybe it will be the next Olympic sport
We went out to eat tonight, and of course we had to make a trip to the potty while at the restaurant.
So, Kaitlyn and I are in the stall, and she does her business, and I get her off the potty to help her wipe. I'm not sure why, but she finds the wiping part to be hilarious. She laughs - every time.
Tonight she was giggling, and it was that contagious type of giggle. There we were in the stall, both of us cracking up, but me trying to maintain my composure because I am, after all, the mom. Isn't potty training supposed to be serious business?
Meanwhile, in the midst of our giggling, more people have come into the bathroom. I wonder what they must have thought of us.
Me: Kaitlyn - stop it. [giggle] I have to wipe you.
K: [laughing hysterically]
Me: Kaitlyn! I mean it! [laughing] I have wipe you, and we have to change your pull-up.
K: [more hysterical laughter]
At this point she was doubled over in laughter.
You have to picture this - I'm squatting and trying to maintain my balance, while also fumbling with a diaper (I accidentally grabbed a diaper instead of a pull-up) and trying to put it on Kaitlyn. She is bent over, with her little bare butt in the air, giggling and squirming around.
What a sight!
That's when a tragedy occurred - she bumped her head on the floor, and then, of course, the dramatic laughter turned to dramatic crying.
The only thing more difficult than trying to put a diaper on a doubled-over, laughing two-year-old is trying to put a diaper on a standing up, clingy, crying two-year-old.
Do they give out gold medals for this type of thing? If so, I could possibly be the Michael Phelps of potty training. (Minus the tabloid photos and drug drama.)
I finally got the diaper on her when we moved to the next phase of the competition: hand washing. I somehow managed to balance her on my leg while washing both of our hands and trying desperately to avoid splashing water all over the lady at the sink beside me.
"Oh, that's too bad. The splashing will cost some points with the judges - that's an automatic deduction of .5. She does have good form though. Look at her stance with the leg! Now if she can just stick it out and execute the paper towel flawlessly, she might have a chance at a medal."
Pardon my little Olympic fantasy... anyway, where was I? Oh yes, the hand washing. We finished with the hand washing, and I was trying to get myself all put back together while dealing with a dramatic toddler at my feet, clinging to me and screaming, "UP! UP!" as if the other women in the restroom (or maybe the automatic flushing toilet) were going to assault her at any moment.
I picked her up and was halfway out the door when I remembered the full pull-up that I set on the toilet paper dispenser in the stall. Figuring that the next person might not appreciate the perils of an absent-minded mother who was distracted by a giggling (and then crying) toddler who was not wanting to cooperate with the potty training, I thought the nice thing to do would be to return to the stall, retrieve the pull-up, and throw it away.
By the time we made it out of the bathroom and found our way back to the table, I realized I was out of breath.
Out of breath, because of a trip to the bathroom.
Either I clearly need more exercise, or this mothering/potty training thing is harder than it looks.
(Or both.)
So, Kaitlyn and I are in the stall, and she does her business, and I get her off the potty to help her wipe. I'm not sure why, but she finds the wiping part to be hilarious. She laughs - every time.
Tonight she was giggling, and it was that contagious type of giggle. There we were in the stall, both of us cracking up, but me trying to maintain my composure because I am, after all, the mom. Isn't potty training supposed to be serious business?
Meanwhile, in the midst of our giggling, more people have come into the bathroom. I wonder what they must have thought of us.
Me: Kaitlyn - stop it. [giggle] I have to wipe you.
K: [laughing hysterically]
Me: Kaitlyn! I mean it! [laughing] I have wipe you, and we have to change your pull-up.
K: [more hysterical laughter]
At this point she was doubled over in laughter.
You have to picture this - I'm squatting and trying to maintain my balance, while also fumbling with a diaper (I accidentally grabbed a diaper instead of a pull-up) and trying to put it on Kaitlyn. She is bent over, with her little bare butt in the air, giggling and squirming around.
What a sight!
That's when a tragedy occurred - she bumped her head on the floor, and then, of course, the dramatic laughter turned to dramatic crying.
The only thing more difficult than trying to put a diaper on a doubled-over, laughing two-year-old is trying to put a diaper on a standing up, clingy, crying two-year-old.
Do they give out gold medals for this type of thing? If so, I could possibly be the Michael Phelps of potty training. (Minus the tabloid photos and drug drama.)
I finally got the diaper on her when we moved to the next phase of the competition: hand washing. I somehow managed to balance her on my leg while washing both of our hands and trying desperately to avoid splashing water all over the lady at the sink beside me.
"Oh, that's too bad. The splashing will cost some points with the judges - that's an automatic deduction of .5. She does have good form though. Look at her stance with the leg! Now if she can just stick it out and execute the paper towel flawlessly, she might have a chance at a medal."
Pardon my little Olympic fantasy... anyway, where was I? Oh yes, the hand washing. We finished with the hand washing, and I was trying to get myself all put back together while dealing with a dramatic toddler at my feet, clinging to me and screaming, "UP! UP!" as if the other women in the restroom (or maybe the automatic flushing toilet) were going to assault her at any moment.
I picked her up and was halfway out the door when I remembered the full pull-up that I set on the toilet paper dispenser in the stall. Figuring that the next person might not appreciate the perils of an absent-minded mother who was distracted by a giggling (and then crying) toddler who was not wanting to cooperate with the potty training, I thought the nice thing to do would be to return to the stall, retrieve the pull-up, and throw it away.
By the time we made it out of the bathroom and found our way back to the table, I realized I was out of breath.
Out of breath, because of a trip to the bathroom.
Either I clearly need more exercise, or this mothering/potty training thing is harder than it looks.
(Or both.)
Sunday, February 8, 2009
I've never been so excited about body functions
We have officially begun potty training. So far, it's going REALLY well.
Kaitlyn isn't the only one on a learning curve. Here are some things that Mommy is trying to learn:
I have to say that I'm glad we put this off for a few months. Kaitlyn showed signs of being ready six months ago, but with us moving and all the other issues in our life, we didn't want to add something else. Plus, I read this post by Shannon at Rocks in my Dryer, and decided it was better to err on the side of waiting too long instead of starting too soon.
And, by the way, if you are a mom and are anywhere near the potty-training process, I highly encourage you to read Shannon's post. She has so many good tips, and she's potty trained four kids, so I think I can trust that she's learned a thing or two.
In other news... the President is coming to town tomorrow. His first trip as president, and he's coming to my hometown! Who would have thought?
The bad news is, he's coming because our county has the worst unemployment in the U.S. The RV industry has taken quite a hit, and there are so many businesses here related to RVs. But, this is delving into a whole other topic that I just don't have the energy to comment on at the moment.
So. Anyway, things around here will be all aflutter tomorrow. And, I'll be at home with Kaitlyn. Our sitter needed to take the day off to take care of a few things, which gave me a wonderful excuse to not have to go into work.
For your convenience, here is a quick recap of the topics covered in today's post:
1. Kaitlyn is doing wonderful on the potty.
2. Obama is coming to town tomorrow.
3. The RV industry needs a boost.
4. I have the day off tomorrow.
Can I get any more random?
Kaitlyn isn't the only one on a learning curve. Here are some things that Mommy is trying to learn:
- How to develop an internal homing device for tracking down store employees, so they can tell me where the bathroom is
- The ability to hoof it from one side of the store to the other in record time (because the bathroom is sure to be on the opposite end of the building from where we are at the time)
- To observe if the toilet is an automatic flush type, so I can prepare both of us for the possible shock of the flush as soon as Kaitlyn gets off the potty
- How to juggle Kaitlyn and my purse while trying to get both of our hands washed
- Remembering to ask Kaitlyn before leave the house/store/restaurant/etc. if she needs to go
I have to say that I'm glad we put this off for a few months. Kaitlyn showed signs of being ready six months ago, but with us moving and all the other issues in our life, we didn't want to add something else. Plus, I read this post by Shannon at Rocks in my Dryer, and decided it was better to err on the side of waiting too long instead of starting too soon.
And, by the way, if you are a mom and are anywhere near the potty-training process, I highly encourage you to read Shannon's post. She has so many good tips, and she's potty trained four kids, so I think I can trust that she's learned a thing or two.
In other news... the President is coming to town tomorrow. His first trip as president, and he's coming to my hometown! Who would have thought?
The bad news is, he's coming because our county has the worst unemployment in the U.S. The RV industry has taken quite a hit, and there are so many businesses here related to RVs. But, this is delving into a whole other topic that I just don't have the energy to comment on at the moment.
So. Anyway, things around here will be all aflutter tomorrow. And, I'll be at home with Kaitlyn. Our sitter needed to take the day off to take care of a few things, which gave me a wonderful excuse to not have to go into work.
For your convenience, here is a quick recap of the topics covered in today's post:
1. Kaitlyn is doing wonderful on the potty.
2. Obama is coming to town tomorrow.
3. The RV industry needs a boost.
4. I have the day off tomorrow.
Can I get any more random?
Tuesday, February 3, 2009
At home
Today is the second day that I've been at home with a sick little girl. She doesn't seem to have anything major - up until this morning it was just a fever. At 5 a.m. she woke up, demanding some juice, so Mike gave her a little bit.
At 5:30 a.m., she promptly lost all of it.
I had been laying with her on the couch, but thankfully at 5:29 she declared that she wanted to lay by herself, so I got up. I was all too happy to avoid being thrown up on.
At this point she seems to be doing ok. All she wants to drink is milk, which I hate because that's not the best thing to drink when your tummy is on the fritz, but in the past our doctor has said to follow her lead and give her what she wants. I've been giving her little bits at a time, and she's kept it all down. She also has a normal temp again. Praise the Lord!
I did have a scare a few minutes ago, though. She declared that her tummy hurt and sort-of got "the look" - you know, the look that often precedes the mess. I grabbed the bucket that is now doomed to forever be "that" bucket and moved her blankies (yeah, she has TWO of them) out of the way. I asked her if she thought she was going to throw up. She got this look on her face (you know, the other look that says she's about to be a stinker) and fake sneezed into the bucket about five times.
I'm sure this orneryness (sp?) comes from her dad.
The good news about all of this is that I had a chance to get our taxes done yesterday, and pick up around the house, and make some really yummy soup for dinner. Today I want to get the rest of the house picked up, and put together a plan for this weekend, when I hope to make some meals ahead to freeze. (Thanks to our tax return, I think we are going to get a chest freezer. Woohoo!)
And, also thanks to our tax return, in about a week I will have the joy of paying off my student loan. BIG WOOHOOOOOOOOOO!
I'll sign off for now so I can watch The Jungle Book with my baby. She's laughing at it just like I did when I went to see it in the movie theatre with my mom, 25-or-so years ago. What a classic.
Oh - wait - I lied. If you think about it, please pray for my sister as she has her second chemo treatment today. She had a terrible time with her first one, so we are praying that this one will be much better. Also, my mom was supposed to have her last treament one week ago, but it got postponed because her blood count was too low. She was thankful to have more time to get her energy back, and in the past couple days has felt better than she has in seven months!! She'll have her last treatment one week from today - yay!!
At 5:30 a.m., she promptly lost all of it.
I had been laying with her on the couch, but thankfully at 5:29 she declared that she wanted to lay by herself, so I got up. I was all too happy to avoid being thrown up on.
At this point she seems to be doing ok. All she wants to drink is milk, which I hate because that's not the best thing to drink when your tummy is on the fritz, but in the past our doctor has said to follow her lead and give her what she wants. I've been giving her little bits at a time, and she's kept it all down. She also has a normal temp again. Praise the Lord!
I did have a scare a few minutes ago, though. She declared that her tummy hurt and sort-of got "the look" - you know, the look that often precedes the mess. I grabbed the bucket that is now doomed to forever be "that" bucket and moved her blankies (yeah, she has TWO of them) out of the way. I asked her if she thought she was going to throw up. She got this look on her face (you know, the other look that says she's about to be a stinker) and fake sneezed into the bucket about five times.
I'm sure this orneryness (sp?) comes from her dad.
The good news about all of this is that I had a chance to get our taxes done yesterday, and pick up around the house, and make some really yummy soup for dinner. Today I want to get the rest of the house picked up, and put together a plan for this weekend, when I hope to make some meals ahead to freeze. (Thanks to our tax return, I think we are going to get a chest freezer. Woohoo!)
And, also thanks to our tax return, in about a week I will have the joy of paying off my student loan. BIG WOOHOOOOOOOOOO!
I'll sign off for now so I can watch The Jungle Book with my baby. She's laughing at it just like I did when I went to see it in the movie theatre with my mom, 25-or-so years ago. What a classic.
Oh - wait - I lied. If you think about it, please pray for my sister as she has her second chemo treatment today. She had a terrible time with her first one, so we are praying that this one will be much better. Also, my mom was supposed to have her last treament one week ago, but it got postponed because her blood count was too low. She was thankful to have more time to get her energy back, and in the past couple days has felt better than she has in seven months!! She'll have her last treatment one week from today - yay!!
Thursday, January 22, 2009
Where does she come up with this stuff?
This morning I was going through the normal routine of getting ready for work, and was in the bathroom drying my hair. I had just finished and turned off the hairdryer, when I looked down and noticed Kaitlyn standing in the doorway. Here is our conversation:
Me: Hi! What's goin' on?
K: I love you mommy.
Me: Awwww... I love you too honey!
Me: Can I have a kiss?
K: [in a pitifully sad voice] No.
[turns her back to me]
Me: Honey, what's the matter? Are you ok?
K: No. I'm sad. [still in the pitiful voice]
Me: [thinking something might really be wrong] What happened? Why are you sad?
K: [mumbles something I can't understand]
Me: What did you say? Why are you sad? [starting to worry about whatever has happened to made her sad]
K: [the pitiful voice is still in effect here] Because I lost my mommy.
Me: What? Because you lost your mommy???
K: Yes.
This is when I busted up laughing! She turned around and gave me a sly little look, like she was enjoying her little joke. She started laughing, and it turned it a really silly moment. Where does she come up with this? Especially since Mike and I, and our collective families, aren't silly at all. Not one bit.
Ahem.
Also, I'm sure the Oscar people will be calling me at any moment to say that her performance this morning has earned her an unprecedented last-minute nomination. (Look out Angelina and Meryl!)
Me: Hi! What's goin' on?
K: I love you mommy.
Me: Awwww... I love you too honey!
Me: Can I have a kiss?
K: [in a pitifully sad voice] No.
[turns her back to me]
Me: Honey, what's the matter? Are you ok?
K: No. I'm sad. [still in the pitiful voice]
Me: [thinking something might really be wrong] What happened? Why are you sad?
K: [mumbles something I can't understand]
Me: What did you say? Why are you sad? [starting to worry about whatever has happened to made her sad]
K: [the pitiful voice is still in effect here] Because I lost my mommy.
Me: What? Because you lost your mommy???
K: Yes.
This is when I busted up laughing! She turned around and gave me a sly little look, like she was enjoying her little joke. She started laughing, and it turned it a really silly moment. Where does she come up with this? Especially since Mike and I, and our collective families, aren't silly at all. Not one bit.
Ahem.
Also, I'm sure the Oscar people will be calling me at any moment to say that her performance this morning has earned her an unprecedented last-minute nomination. (Look out Angelina and Meryl!)
Monday, January 19, 2009
Today's conversations with Kaitlyn
Conversation #1
(On the way home tonight)
Kaitlyn: Mommy, it's my birfday!
Me: It's your birthday??
Kaitlyn: Yeah! It's my birfday! I have to blow out can-dulls.
Me: Oh honey, it's not your birthday today. You won't have a birthday for, well, [pausing to think about Kaitlyn's concept of time, or lack thereof] well, it won't be your birthday for a long time.
Kaitlyn: Puh-leeze, mommy? Pweeze my birfday? Blow out can-dulls!
Me: Is that what you want? You want to blow out candles?
Kaitlyn: Yeah!
Me: Ok. Maybe you can blow out some candles tonight.
(We both forgot about the candles, so I never had to follow through with the fake birthday.)
Conversation #2
(I had just finished telling Mike that Kaitlyn sat on the potty today at the sitter's house.)
Me (to Kaitlyn): Do you think you might be ready to be potty trained?
Kaitlyn: Um, yeah. Oh - no - I want to brush my teeth first!
(On the way home tonight)
Kaitlyn: Mommy, it's my birfday!
Me: It's your birthday??
Kaitlyn: Yeah! It's my birfday! I have to blow out can-dulls.
Me: Oh honey, it's not your birthday today. You won't have a birthday for, well, [pausing to think about Kaitlyn's concept of time, or lack thereof] well, it won't be your birthday for a long time.
Kaitlyn: Puh-leeze, mommy? Pweeze my birfday? Blow out can-dulls!
Me: Is that what you want? You want to blow out candles?
Kaitlyn: Yeah!
Me: Ok. Maybe you can blow out some candles tonight.
(We both forgot about the candles, so I never had to follow through with the fake birthday.)
Conversation #2
(I had just finished telling Mike that Kaitlyn sat on the potty today at the sitter's house.)
Me (to Kaitlyn): Do you think you might be ready to be potty trained?
Kaitlyn: Um, yeah. Oh - no - I want to brush my teeth first!
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
Posts
